The Slight Soggy, Mostly Memorable Trip Report About This Page:

[RobbiD]

Dates:June 20-29
Adventurers:Robbi (Me!), Dean (DH), Nicole & Ashley (DD’s)
Resort: Port Orleans – Riverside
Celebration: Summer Vacation & the End of School!

Prologue: We're Not Going to Disney This Year!
After Christmas, when Dean and I began discussing vacation options for this year, he mentioned coming back to Disney. We had been in 1997 and 2000, and while I love WDW, I didn’t want to go back yet. 1st of all after 9/11, I wanted a very mellow, low key vacation; someplace low profile with a beach (for me) and golf (for Dean.) I also wanted to see other parts of the country. So the vacation planning began and we settled on the Outer Banks, NC. Beach for me (check!), golf for Dean (check!), fun for the girls (check!), low key (check!). Now a lot of the rentals down there are geared toward family reunions and are really large (and expensive) properties. But there’s only the 4 of us. Hmmmm. I finally found a condo that was a little pricier than I wanted but decided to book it anyway. There’s a fee for this, and fee for that and….$1900 for a week! NO WAY! Now here’s the problem for me; all vacations end up getting compared cost and value wise to Disney, and I could do All-Stars and passes for that much for the week. Forget Outer Banks.

A very frustrating week of web searches for family resorts began, and then ended with me saying “Forget it, you plan it! Let’s just get in the car and drive to North Carolina!” And it was off my plate. Or so I thought!

Dean was working from home on my birthday (Feb. 21st) and I went out and got the mail. Lo and behold, a postcard from Disney! Let’s see, “Come back to make believe…for a price you won’t believe…moderates from $84/night.” $84 per night? For a moderate? We paid $99 per night for All Stars in 2000. Grab the calculator…7 nights x $84 plus tax…WOW! Oh, Dean! He’s on the phone for work! Rats! So of course, being very mature, I just start waving the postcard under his nose! He hangs up and reads the card and I’m babbling away about costs and dates, etc. He just looked at me and said “Wait, you don’t want to go this year.” “Yes, but we’ll never see rates like this again!” “But if you don’t want to go…” “Oh honey, I’m just trying to save you money!” [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] And the 2002 trip was born!

My rules were simple: 1) we’d leave the day after school ended since we had to check in by 6/21 to take advantage of the postcard rate; 2) it would be Disney only, no side trips; 3) mellow pace, no kamikaze touring! 4) We’d take a day off in the middle of the vacation so we wouldn’t get burned out.

Yea! Of course, in the meantime, I found Passporter and the boards which made my planning even more fun. Now we just have to get to June…

Next: What Was I Thinking?

[AKLRULZ]

Excellent! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] I'll have to catch up when we get back Sunday night - it will be completed then won't it? [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

[tikibird]

Wow, you did get a great rate - glad you decided to vacation in the WDW - particularly because now we get to read your trip report! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Looking forward to your next installment! [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[2Princesses]

Well Robbi, I'm hooked already! Really looking forward to hearing all about your family's Disney adventures. How old are your DDs?

Looking forward to the next installment!

[RobbiD]

Oh sure Steve, no pressure! And I'm still doing this via the "backdoor" internet (the tech never showed last night!) And 2Princesses, my older DD (Nicole)is 9 1/2 and Ashley is 7.

[Ursunique2001]

Oh it's great when you save money.....waiting patiently for more from you.

Ursula

[Jsbalcio1]

Don't you just love when things fall into your lap?

[iloverags2]

So of course, being very mature, I just start waving the postcard under his nose!

<font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS, Arial">ROFL I'm enjoying your report. Looking forward to hearing about your trip. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[RobbiD]

Next: What was I thinking?

Dates: June 20-29
Adventurers: Robbi (Me!), Dean (DH),
The DD's: Nicole (9 1/2)& Ashley (7)
Resort: Port Orleans – Riverside
Celebration: Summer Vacation & the End of School!

Back in February when I booked the trip, I thought it would be great to leave the day after school ended. Softball would be over, Girl Scouts would be over, PTA stuff would be concluded, Sunday School would be done for the Summer and of course school would be done. What a great beginning to the summer! AM I NUTS!!! [img]graemlins/achoo.gif[/img] Here it is, June 19th, and I’m running around like a loon! I had totally blocked out all the stuff I need to do during June to have all these things end! School concerts, class parties, field trips, Girl Scout Award Ceremonies, teacher presents. OK, deep breath. We’re packed, the house is clean, laundry is done, the cats are set. And we’re leaving for Disney in less than 24 hours.

I spent the morning in Ashley’s class helping her teacher with the ice cream party they were having. School got out at 12:45PM and we’re free! Dean was working from home (and stopping early!) so we came home, ran out for traveler’s checks and lunch then went home to finish up odds and ends. We had packed on Sunday so that was set. I had a haircut and color appointment at 4:45 that I added a pedicure too, plus I was going for a manicure also. Was I going to get everything done? I left at 3 to be beautified and got home coiffed and buffed with mood changing toe polish at 7, relaxed and ready to go. Dean had already packed the car and the girls had the back seat set. Nicole took her shower and Ashley had her bath and off to bed they went. Would they every go to sleep?

We planned on leaving no later than 6AM. We were driving from NJ to WDW and planned on stopping along the way for the night. I had some last minute things to do; mop the kitchen floor…”Rob, come to bed, you’ve done enough!” “I’ll be right there!” Check the packing list one more time; “Rob, we’ve got to get up soon!” “OK, OK!” Check the girls; Ashley is of course asleep and shock of all shocks, Nicole is too! She usually is so worked up before any big event that she can’t sleep. I double check my stuff…Passporter, Park Passes. OK, time for bed!

4:30 arrives before we know it and Dean and I are up! Shower, get dressed, get the girls up and dressed. The car is already packed so it’s good bye to Sheba, Princess & Cleo and we’re in the car and out of the driveway! WOO WOO! We stop at Dunkin Donuts (me-French Vanilla coffee & coffeecake muffin, coffee and muffin for Dean, Vanilla Milk and muffin for Nicole, Double Chocolate milk and muffin for Ashley.) As Dean gets ready to pull out of the parking space, he manages to spill coffee on his shorts leg. AH! He’s OK. We leave Dunkin Donuts and hit the NJ Turnpike at 5:48AM. 12 minutes earlier than we had said. Now, in my house, that’s amazing! Dean is very prompt and he is always lamenting that with 3 females in the house, he’ll never be anywhere on time ever again. So, Dean is very happy about our time. I happen to look at his coffee stain and realize…OH MY GOSH! It’s a Hidden Mickey! It really was! We took it as a good omen. And so began our Hidden Mickey theme.

Our drive was pretty uneventful. We stopped in Maryland at 8:30 for a bathroom break, and timed things pretty well in terms of avoiding rush hour traffic in Baltimore and DC. The girls kept themselves busy with books and Gameboys. We did have a brief moment of panic passing through Washington when Ashley informed us that she felt like she was going to throw up. Nicole had gotten sick on Tuesday night and now we’re thinking “NO! It must have been a virus!” Ashley closed her eyes and it passed (Thank You, God!) We take the new bypass around Richmond and it was wonderful! The weather was great.

Side note: Living in NJ, we don’t get any country music. Whenever we drive down South, we take great delight in trying to find the “real” country stations. This is apparently all they have in Virginia except for the religious stations. We’ve found some of our favorite artists this way (Garth Brooks, Dixie Chicks) and we’ve also had some great laughs since this is almost foreign music to us (hey, we grew up 14 miles from Times Square!) This trip proves to be no exception. We’re thrilled to hear the new Dixie Chicks song and then hear this funny, redneck song about some guy whose wife tells him he has to pick between her and fishing and “I’m gonna miss her, lookie here, I’ve got a bite!” We are cracking up! Too funny!

We stop in Roanoke Rapids, NC at 11:45 for lunch at a Burger King. We fill up the tank and we’re off again at 12:25. We hit South Carolina and the rain began. We should have gotten used to it, since that would be the theme for the week. It did start to slow us down, and I was getting a little nervous since it was raining pretty hard at times. We wanted to stop between 6-7PM. By 5:30 we were near the SC/GA line and I’m checking my list of exits I had marked. Exit 94 in Savannah was getting near and the rain was coming down hard. We decide to stop here. I knew there’s a Country Inn and Suites and Cracker Barrel here so we pull off and Dean goes to check in. It’s now 5:56PM. We get the key and drive over to the Cracker Barrel. We love Cracker Barrel! We don’t have any close to us in NJ, so this is an exotic trip for Nicole & Ashley. We eat then hit the store. Nicole bought herself a little porcelain doll, and Ashley bought herself a Beanie Buddy dog to snuggle with (she realized that she had left home without her ‘Pooh Bear’ and she had no one to sleep with.) We go back to our room and go to sleep confident that the driving weather will be much better tomorrow.

Next: It’s still raining!

[TINKN]

Great start! Can't wait for more!

[PS - I LUV WDW]

Great report so far! Thanks for taking the time to write it.

[RobbiD]

Next: It’s still raining!

Dates: June 20-29
Adventurers: Robbi (Me!), Dean (DH), DD’s: Nicole ( 9 ½) & Ashley (7)
Resort: Port Orleans – Riverside
Celebration: Summer Vacation & the End of School!

Dean’s watch alarm goes off at 6AM. We’re in Savannah and figure we have about 4 hours driving time left before we arrive at WDW. The Weather Channel had said that today would be cloudy with a chance of rain so we peek out the drapes to see…TORENTIAL DOWNPOUR! Ugh! I hate driving in the rain! Especially on I-95. Well, maybe it will clear. Dean jumps in the shower while I wake up the girls. I jump in the shower and Dean takes Nicole & Ashley down for the complimentary continental breakfast while I get dressed. I get ready and head down on the elevator only to meet them ready to come back up. Ashley decides to keep me company while I have my yogurt, banana and tea. We finish up, take the elevator up to the room, make a sweep to make sure we haven’t forgotten anything and head to the car. Dean goes to check out while I watch the rain. We all head to the car bummed about the rain, but HEY, WE’LL BE IN DISNEY TODAY! Yeah! The time read 7:40 and we’re off and back on 95.

The next 4 hours were perhaps the most prayerful of my life. The rain came down so hard at times that we couldn’t see the car ahead of us. I truly thought that we wouldn’t make it to WDW. I was trying to be good and not flinch or gasp or be generally annoying to the driver but I had a death grip on that handle over the passenger side door. [img]images/icons/frown.gif[/img] Ashley dozed a little bit and Nicole read. I closed my eyes a few times to feign napping, mostly to avoid looking at the tractor trailers we were passing that I was convinced we were going to end up underneath, but also to have a few in depth conversations with God. Finally, we see the sign that welcomes you to Florida. And then the rain really began! I turn into the fake, perky, “Oh, this isn’t bothering me!” Robbi who is trying (unsuccessfully) to convince Dean that maybe we should just get off at this next exit to stop at Dunkin Donuts because he looks like he needs coffee; or “Hey, isn’t that Caddyshack the Murray Brothers restaurant at World of Golf? You’re a golfer, let’s stop here for YOU!” etc. The rain finally starts to let up somewhat when we hit the LPGA area just before Daytona. Dean & I look back and just see this mass of jet black solid clouds that we had just spent the last hour in, and look at each other with one of those meaningful looks, and finally remember to breath again.

We take the exit for I-4 and the excitement starts to build. Dean starts pointing out landmarks from when he used to have to visit Lake Mary for business. I mention the lack of Disney billboards among the glut of advertising along the road. We hit downtown Orlando and the traffic begins to build and slow down. I notice then the signs that have “new” numbers on them (some along with the “old”) and I’m pulling out the Passporter and my AAA books to make sure I know where to get off. Traffic starts to roll and Hey, there’s a sign for Animal Kingdom! The kids are bouncing in their seats. Disney Exits! Woo Woo! We see, and then take, “Old Exit 26.” Then we see the sign and Mickey and WE’RE ON DISNEY PROPERTY! The kids are excited and I, well I am almost crying! I am not an emotional person normally, but after that drive and all the tension since Sept. 11th, and not knowing if I wanted to go to such a “public” place due to potential terrorist attacks, I guess I needed a release. I held it together so I could direct Dean to the right place. We followed the signs for Downtown Disney resorts, then saw the signs for Port Orleans. We’re looking, we’re looking…from the back Nicole says “We’re here, we’re here…oh wait, wrong one!” and we all just crack up! She had seen the entrance to Port Orleans-French Quarter but then realized we weren’t quite there. Now we see Riverside and pull in. We stop at the security gate and give the guard our name. He tells us where to park and lets us in. We park and get out of the car. We are all so stiff! It is now 12:05 and we have been in the car for almost 4 ½ hours.

Port Orleans-Riverside is beautiful! The landscaping is amazing. We walk into the Sassagoula Steamboat Company to check in. Dean & I immediate love the place. So nice, so authentic! We walk over to check-in and immediately get called over to a Cast Member. I get started checking us in while the girls go sit in the little sofas to watch a Disney movie. Surprise! They have a room ready for us already! I had requested Alligator Bayou, but not a specific building. She asked if I had a floor preference and I told her 2nd, please. She gave us all our handouts and maps, then gave us the American Express White Glove lanyards and pins for the girls (there were 2 of each in the package.) Our keys printed out and we’re in Room 3952. There’s a quiet pool right by our room.

We drive over to the room, which was at the back of the resort. Very nice room; as the girls are looking around we discover it has a trundle (which we hadn’t requested and didn’t get charged for either.) We schlep our stuff in, and start unpacking while the girls are ready to bust. We walk back over to the Steamboat Co. to grab a light lunch. We have dinner reservations for Boatwrights at 5 so we don’t want to fill up. Dean & I grab a yogurt & piece of fruit, Ashley has an apple, and Nicole decides to have the personal pizza. We decide on the thinner of the 2 refillable mugs (as they will fit in our car cup holders) and buy 4 of those. The food court at Riverside is really cool to look at; it has a working water wheel that is attached to a grain grinder. We finish eating then walk over to Fulton’s (the store.) We get an idea of what the 100 Years of Magic merchandise is and then the DD’s have to use the bathroom. I take them over to the ladies room and in the stalls are: Pull Chain toilets! What a riot!

We head back to the room and change into bathing suits so we can go the quiet pool. We spend about an hour there, then get ready for our 5PM PS at Boatwrights. At this point, it begins raining again.

We were the 1st ones seated for dinner and we were served very quickly. I had gumbo and jambalaya with shrimp; Dean had jambalaya, Nicole had a burger and Ashley had chicken. It was very good (and very filling) but I have to say the gumbo Dean makes is better (but his is awesome!) We have no room for dessert. We wanted to play miniature golf but it was still drizzling. We headed to the car and drove over to WinterSummerland to see if they were open. They were, and the rain stopped so we decided to play the winter course. We had a great time! It was a great 1st night thing to do. Since no one else was there, we finished pretty quickly and decided to head down to Downtown Disney. The parking pixie dust was with us and we were in the shops right away. They have such cute stuff: Team Mickey even has Bobble Heads! Nicole (my consumer child) sees the My Disney Doll right away and decides that’s what she wants to spend her money on. Now, our deal with the kids is that they can use their money to buy whatever they want, but we don’t purchase anything until one of the last days (so they don’t see something else they want more, later on.)

We browse for about an hour then leave because we’re all tired. We have to be up early tomorrow because … (shhhh! The kids don’t know)

NEXT: We’re having breakfast at the Castle!

[2Princesses]

Robbi - thanx for including so many details about your trip down and your first day . . . I almost feel like I am right there with you all. Can't wait to hear your girls' reaction to the "surprise" breakfast w/ the Princesses!!

Patiently waiting for more . . . [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[tikibird]

Wow, you have it bad, seeing Hidden Mickeys in coffee stains! (that's okay, I saw one in some hair cut trimmings! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] )

I was scared through the storm with you - HATE driving in the rain - glad to hear you arrived safely and had a great day.

Looking forward to more! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[HunnyPot]

What a great TR so far. Keep it coming. Can't wait to hear the rest.

Helen [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]